Puzzle or game



Patented Sept. 21, 11926.

'Y 1 iiiniviis'ifW'Ii'tLoUefiiBY GATES, or WRENTHAM, MAssAcHUsETTs.' f

phenomenon known" as' lstatic, and signals transmitted from the 'broadcasting station" nto the receiving "statiomfthe feattoflce aci' complishedA being the tran,emissionl of lthe signals throughstaticl to' ftheureceiving station, vand the spelling' a 4call at'tlie latter;A 10 l attain this'object by the improved .puz-

Q, zle hereinafter described7 and, 'claimedj` i i VOf theaccompanying'drawings:forming apartof thisspecificatiomf f 'v' l v Figure luis plan viewy ofI a -p'u'z'zle`- em-y v bodying' the in yentin, 'as prepared r for use.

V I "igure' f2 isf a 'fragi'nentary plan View, showing the portion symbolizing' the receiving V, station, and,y l showing" a Y call part' lyspelled.4 A Y Figure 3 is` a fragmentarysection on line 3,-370f Figures -1 and.2.

` Figure4 is a fragmentary 'section on line 4 4 of Figures 1 and 2. I Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective Yvievv, showing a portion of the base and one of the pockets and sight openings hereinafter described. 'Y j Figure 6 is a perspective vievv, showing one of the annunciator members'hereinafterl described. Y, j n

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section online 7-'7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section on line 8 8l of Figure 1. Y i

Y The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The puzzle comprises a base adapted to Lbe held at various inclinations by the hands of a user, and to permit the rolling on its upper surface of rolling members Which may be either balls or discs, balls being preferred. For brevity I hereinafter referto the rolling members as balls.

The base may be of any desired construc-v tion, and, as here shown, includes a body portion 12, and a facing portion 13 on which the balls may roll. The base isprovided 'With an upstanding marginal curb 14, confining the balls on the base. The curb may be provided'with, a glass cover 15, as shown by Figures 3 and 4. At one vend portion of the base is a depression 16,'symbolizing a broadcasting station, and at the opposite end vportion of the base is a group of pockets 17 which, with the annunciator members hereinafter described, symbolize a receiving station. The base is provided, intermediate the depression 16 Aandrpoclrets 17, `Withv `a group Vof baffle'membersf18,5symbolizing.

VThe' puzzle comprises also' afsetof'balls" i 'i 19, the' number of Which is'the samelasfthat of thefpoclrets 17 said balls syi'n'bolizing signals. The balls are adapted tqbeloosely static.

confined yby the 'depression 16,- as' sho-Wn by a group corresponding-in number Withthe able to an voperative or displayed position',

the annunciator members are'lettersfas infV dicated by Figures 2 and' 6, andthe"arrangement is such that when' the several balls' are arrested by the several pockets, the displayed annunciator members spell acall.,

- ln the vpreferred embodiment of the invention here shovvn',.each annunciator member is composed of a two-armed lever 21,

fulc-rumed at 22 (Figures 3 and 4), ad?

jacent toa pocket 17. Theouter arm of the lever is enlarged to form a target 23,.

bearing an inscription. The inner arm projects into the pocketand is normally raised therein, as shown by igure 3, by the outer arm. l/Vhen a' ballV 19 is arrested by the pocket, it depresses the inner arm and raises .the target 23, as shovvn by. Figure 4, so

thatfthe target is displayed throughV a sight openingV 24, in the base. v The lever 21 may extend through. a slot 25,-in the base (Figures 3, 4 and 5) to a chamber 26, `in which I is to cause the Vballs to roll through the i staggered passages 27 and be landed'in the pockets 17, each ball being landed in a Y pocket, and the several annunciator members being displayed and caused to spell a call.

65 Figuresl and 8, ivlienthe base is horizontalf and to roll from the"depression toyvardthe p`oclets,yvhen th'elbase issuitablyinclined.A"A 3;'

Vlilith the pockets 17 `are [associated 'in. scribed' annunci'at'or ,members .constituting i The accomplishment of this feat is rendered diilicult by the baille members, as will be readily seen. Y

The base may be provided with markings representing an antenna 28, associated With the'depression 16, and an antenna 29', associated With the pocket 17` Zigzag markings may appear between theroWs of ba eV members 18.

- I claim; i

l. A symbolic puzzle comprising ka base.

. having a depression at one end portion,

symbolizing a broadcasting station, a group of'pockets at theopposite end portion, and an intermediate" group` of bailie members symbolizng static; a set of looseV rolling i' members symbolizingy radio signals and adapted to be confined by the depression when thebase is horizontal and to roll therefrom. toward the pockets when the base; is

inclined, the number of rolling members being equal to that of the pockets, each pocket beingwadapted to. arrest-a rolling member the baffle members being arranged to deflect the roll-ing members from a lstraight course between they depression and the cups; and a group of ,inscribed annunciator members associated with the pockets, each annunciator. member being normally inoperative and movablel to "an operative position disp-laying.

`its inscription by a rolling member arrested arranged that said members cannotv roll in;l

a straight course yfrom thev depression to,v I 45 the pockets; I n v i 3. A. symbolic puzzle asl specified by claim l, eachl annunciator memberv being composed- 5 of a tivo-armed lever fulcrumed adjacent to a pocket, one: arm of the lever'bei'ng enlarged to form a target,y the other arm being normally raised in the pocket, sok that'itmay be depressed by a rolling member arrested by the pocket, 'and thereby caused to raise the target,I the base being provided with sight openings through Which the raised targets are visible. I 1

In testimony whereof I .have ailixed myv signature.,

, c ERNEsT WILLOUGHBY earns, f 

